Statement  

I painted myself in various states of undress for years although I was conflicted about showing myself too boldly naked. For that reason I often painted myself, in 2009-10 quoting the Velasquez "Rokeby Venus" often by painting the back of me while gazing at the viewer in the mirror. In 2011-14 I then proceeded to paint myself as I set up a proverbial stage to paint myself upside-down, in a handstand, or looking away. I then began to hone in in on parts of the body, a hand,

a foot, or an ear to stress anonymity. Painting my body came with baggage. 

Last year I began painting hands. I was intrigued by a change in scale as well as the sensual aspect. I began to blow things up focusing on hands, (mine and my partner’s) because they are expressive and fleshy. A finger can be a stand in for a leg or an arm or recall a landscape. Working with the body this way I can or create unpredictable shapes and spaces. They allow for a different kind of exploration into the interplay between light and forms. Whether it be back-lit, an infusion of light, or the strategic placement of light falling upon the hand, face or body, light

serves as an element creating emotional tone and drama. Hands reflect human emotion and hand gestures themselves can express an unlimited variety. My Hand Series is a nod to wishing, hope, offering. We nearly all use them to express and comfort as well as fight and harm. Through

obscured identity, closely cropped hands and fragmented shadows, the paintings provoke contemplation of the enigma of gesture.

 My whole body self portraits challenge society's false constructs about age. Not

ignoring but not focused on the sexual, the paintings delve into a different realm of self-exploration. The strategic use of the light patch becomes a crucial element in deciphering the

demonstrated psychological state. Light, in its capacity to both illuminate and obfuscate, becomes a key the painting. Through obscured identities, closely cropped anatomy, fragmented shadows, and blinding light, the paintings provoke contemplation of the multifaceted nature of identity and the enigmatic relationship between light and self. This correlation assumes paramount importance, as I deliberately reduce extraneous elements to accentuate the subjects' psychological impact.

   The work explores the female figure as a vessel of expression and the profound interdependence between light and design principles. The paintings beckon viewers to reflect on the multifaceted nature of"the gaze" and the transformative potential of light.